Rapid advances in semiconductor technology have dramatically changed the landscape of integrated circuits (IC) and their applications. Feature sizes continue to fall despite the increasing time and effort required to deliver improvements. Developments in device density allow a greater number of circuit devices to be fit into a given area. At the same time, device performance continues to improve, thereby delivering greater speeds, increased efficiency, and reduced cost. These improvements both necessitate and facilitate advances in fields such as device design, manufacturing technology, system integration, and software engineering.
For example, increasing circuit density frequently increases the amount of heat generated within a region. While efficiency gains may cut down on heat produced by a given device, frequently this thermal efficiency is more than offset by the increased number of circuits and increased leakage. As a result, advanced devices generate more heat in a smaller area. This heat must be controlled as it can lead to system instability, thermal shutdown, and even permanent damage. To meet customers' performance and efficiency goals and to allow future improvements in device density, increasingly complex methods of thermal management are required.